The situation in Yemen has suddenly escalated! Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia are attacking each other. Iran: We are not at war with Saudi Arabia.

The situation in Yemen has suddenly escalated! Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia are attacking each other. Iran: We are not at war with Saudi Arabia.

The conflict in Yemen has escalated dramatically, pushing the Middle East to the brink of broader confrontation. The Houthi rebels have seized strategic locations in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and continue their attacks on Saudi Arabia, prompting urgent intervention from several major powers. However, the future of the situation remains highly uncertain.

On March 12, Trump stated that the US had spoken with the Houthis, who indicated they did not want to go to war with the US, but the Houthis have not yet publicly confirmed this. Meanwhile, Iranian President Peskhchiyan stated that Iran and Saudi Arabia are "not at war" and called on regional countries to sit down and work together to build peace. However, according to Reuters, Iran had previously responded to Pakistan, stating that it "cannot control" the Houthis.

Battlefield situation: Houthi rebels control key locations in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and both sides are attacking each other.

The situation on the Yemeni battlefield has taken a major turn recently. According to CCTV News , both the Yemeni government forces and the Houthi rebels confirmed on the 10th that the Houthis had captured the strategic port city of Muha on the Red Sea that day. On the 11th, the Houthis further seized Zubab, the last major stronghold of the Yemeni government forces near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and took control of the strategically important island of Perim in the strait.

Against this backdrop, direct clashes broke out again between the two sides on the 12th. Houthi spokesman Yahya Sarreya said that in the past 48 hours, Saudi warplanes launched 129 airstrikes on seven provinces in Yemen, including Taiz, Marib, Hodeidah, Jawf, and Saada, and warned that these attacks "will not go unpunished."

Saudi Arabia responded on the same day, stating that Houthi rebels launched an attack on Tuwal district in Jizan province, injuring two people and damaging several buildings and vehicles. The Saudi Civil Defense Authority emphasized that the attack on civilian targets was a "blatant violation of international humanitarian law." The Yemeni government forces also stated that they launched attacks on Houthi vehicles, weapons, and personnel in the port city of Muha on the 12th.

Diplomatic mediation: The United States contacted the Houthis but refused direct military intervention.

The United States has chosen engagement over direct military intervention in this round of escalation. According to CCTV News , Trump publicly stated on the 12th that the US had spoken with the Houthis, who said they did not want to fight the US or get it involved in the conflict. The Houthis have not yet made a public response.

According to reports, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called Trump twice on September 10, requesting the United States to launch a military strike against the Houthi rebels. However, the United States refused to take direct military action, only expressing its willingness to provide Saudi Arabia with intelligence and target identification support. Neither the White House nor Saudi Arabia has publicly confirmed the content of these calls.

This stance indicates that Washington currently prefers to manage the situation through diplomatic channels rather than directly intervening militarily in the Yemeni conflict, which to some extent limits Saudi Arabia's options.

Iran's position: Denies a state of war, but previously admitted to the difficulty of controlling the Houthi rebels.

Iran's stance on this crisis has been quite nuanced. According to CCTV News , Iranian President Peshichiyan stated clearly in an interview in India on the 12th that Iran and Saudi Arabia are "not at war." He said that Iran has repeatedly emphasized that all countries in the region should sit down together to build regional peace and security. There is no reason for conflict or war among the countries in the region.

Following the Houthi attacks on several Saudi locations by Yemeni forces on September 8, Reuters reported on September 9, citing sources from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Iran, that Pakistan had conveyed Saudi Arabia's warning to Iran, demanding that Iran restrain the Houthi rebels.

Multiple sources told Reuters that Pakistan's message to Tehran was clear: contain the Houthis, or the conflict could escalate into a wider regional security crisis. A senior Iranian official confirmed that Pakistan conveyed this message to Iran on the 8th, but the latter responded that "Iran cannot control the Houthis."

Given the Mecca Mutual Defense Agreement signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, this latest warning is considered significant. According to Pakistan's *The Express Tribune*, Pakistani Defense Minister Asif stated on the 8th that any unprovoked attack in Yemen or the spillover of the current situation in Yemen to Saudi Arabia would trigger this agreement. Israel's *Jerusalem Post* described this as the first test for the "Mecca Defense Alliance."

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